Kodak camera with ISO 8000, can it shoot in near darkness?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 09 March 2007 23:30

Your IT - Entertainment

With some of the latest cameras able to shoot at ISO 3200, Kodak's new EasyShare Z885 claims an incredible ISO 8000, but can it shoot clear photos without the 'noise' that usually affects high ISO photos?

Having a higher ISO rating means you can shoot what should look like light photos even in dark situations, but normally have a lot of 'noise' or fuzzy dots all over the photo which can help to make relying on high ISO settings a tricky affair.

High ISO setting can be helpful in situations where a flash is not permitted to be used, such as in a museum or at an event when camera flashes are not desired. It also helps you take photos in areas where photos are not permitted, such as during a play, with a flash going off being something that instantly gives away the fact you're using a camera when you're not supposed to be.

With selected consumer cameras offering what was the maximum of ISO 1600, only to see some recent cameras claim an ISO rating of 3000, it's very surprising to see Kodak releasing a model with ISO 8000, and it almost makes us wonder if there has been some kind of misprint, although it would seem that this is quite genuine.

The big question is how it will perform in very low light, and if the resulting images will be good, or not. Given the camera has literally only just launched, we don't know yet, but will endeavor not only to find out, but to test the camera as soon as Kodak is able to make one available.

The camera takes 8.1 megapixel photos which is the kind of megapixel rating we expect these days (although quite a few cameras are starting to offer 10 megapixel photos), along with digital image stabilization (which is probably not as good as true optical image stablization). It also comes with a 5x optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the back.

The camera will retail for US $199 and is due to arrive in April.